Councillor says it's time to consider more garbage cans in HRM

A Dartmouth councillor wants the municipality to consider installing more garbage cans at bus stops and alongbike routes andwalking trails.

Coun. Tony Mancini said he's hadseveral complaints from residents, many of whomlive near Waverley Road and Shubie Park in Dartmouth. They saylitteris building up because there's nowhere to dispose of it.

"There are residents who I spoke to who really think it's a big issue, and they would use words like filthy and disgusting," he said.

While Mancinisaid he wouldn't go that far, hebelieves the municipality can do a better job.

He's asking for a review of how staffdecide where to put green garbage cans, and whether that criteria needs to be updated so more can be installed.

High-traffic areas

Mancini said he recently heard from one Dartmouth resident abouttrash that's scattered by the bus stop near her home. When he asked staff about getting a garbage can for the area, he said he was told it wasn't busy enough.

He said it's often easier to get more garbage cans put in parks and fields because it's a different staff department in charge.

Mancini doesn't know how many garbage cans arecurrently around the municipality, but he's hoping a staff report will find that out.

"One thing I don't want to have is you put a receptaclein place and then you drive by or walk by and it's overflowing," he said."So do we have enough resources?"

Can't be complacent

Earlier this year, Mancini proposed a pilot program for recyclingcigarette butts, an initiative similar to ones that havealready been adopted byMontreal, Toronto and Vancouver. That request is still working its way through Halifax regional council.

He said it's all an effort to make the municipality attractivefor visitors and residents alike, and right now, he's not sure everyone would say it is.

"We can't become complacent when it comes to litter," he said. "I'm not saying we're terrible at it, I'm saying we can do a better job."

The issue is on the agenda for Tuesday's council meeting.